Battle of Alexandria (1110)
The Battle of Alexandria occurred in 1110 during the Cairene Crusade when the crusading army, led by Duke Robert of Normandy, landed in Egypt and marched on the city of Alexandria, seeking to secure a coastal base to secure its supply lines. The crusaders encamped outside of the city, and the Fatimid sultan al-Mustansir Billah led an army outside of Alexandria to attack the crusaders with the assistance of Fatimid general Captain Sabry and his army. The ill-advised maneuver led to the slaughter of the Fatimid army in a battle that consisted of two skirmishes, both of which ended in crushing crusader victories. Alexandria fell soon after the battle, and 3,093 Alexandrians were massacred by the Crusaders. Background Cairene Crusade The Cairene Crusade was launched in 1094 by Pope Urban II at the behest of King William II of England, who sought to take Egypt from the Muslims and allow for Christian pilgrms to visit the holy sites in the country. The preparation of the crusade took years, however, as Duke Robert of Normandy needed to sail from Brittany in northwestern France down the Bay of Biscay, through the Strait of Gibraltar, along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, and land in Lower Egypt. This adventure would be risky, as it was not certain that the Egyptians would assist the crusaders when they landed, as Christians, Jews, and Copts were treated well by Fatimid caliphs. The crusaders were mostly Anglo-Normans and Bretons, foreigners in the eyes of even Christian Egyptians. Arrival in Egypt It would not be until 1110 that the crusader army disembarked at el-Alamein in northern Egypt, and they did not find much support, apart from some Christian Sudanese nomadic tribesmen who were willing to join the fight for coin. Robert did not relent, and he agreed to pay the mercenaries to fight alongside his army, which would be too small to tackle a target such as the Egyptian capital of Cairo, which was likely to be well-defended. Instead, the crusaders decided to secure their supply lines and capture the major port of Alexandria in Lower Egypt, which was defended by Sultan al-Mustansir Billah himself. The crusaders faced al-Mustansir's 167-strong garrison in Alexandria in addition to Captain Sabry's 121-strong army outside of the city, and the crusaders encamped outside of the city. Captain Sabry unwisely chose to attack the larger crusader army, leading to a decisive battle outside of the city walls. Battle knights charging at Alexandria]]The Egyptian armies were separated, as al-Mustansir had to march his army out of Alexandria to join the battle. Robert gave an inspiring speech to his men, telling them that he was wounded many times in England's service and would be wounded another time if required for victory in the upcoming battle, and he told them to let the enemy do any neccessary dying in the battle. The crusader army proceeded to charge against Sabry's army, which was entirely composed of archers, and the crusader cavalry massacred the Egyptians, including Sabry. As al-Mustansir Billah and his army arrived, the crusaders proceeded to attack his army, and the English spearmen stabbed al-Mustansir's horses as crusader cavalry charged his infantry. His army was annihilated as well, and the battle was over in a short amount of time. Aftermath The crusaders forced al-Mustansir to retreat back to the city of Alexandria, which was besieged. In 1112, the crusaders took the city with 43 losses and massacred 3,093 of the city's inhabitants, looting 2,175 florins as well. The goal of the crusade was not yet accomplished, however, and the English would proceed to recruit some priests to convert Alexandria and the surrounding areas to Christianity as Robert moved to attack Cairo. Category:Battles Category:Crusades